Contact

Availability

Interested in Working with the Following Groups:

Afterschool programs

Artist residencies in schools

Home school groups

Private art classes

Special needs groups

Public workshops

Teaching Artist Statement

The pursuit of knowledge and skill is not easy. It is a process that is different for every individual. I believe that Art provides a unique opportunity for learning about the world around us because it honors individual thought and brain diversity.

The most challenging task I have as a teacher is presenting my students with the questions that will lead them to self-discovery. The act of formulating questions facilitates self-direction, and leads to excitement in learning.

I enjoy the challenge of finding out the strengths of my students and building a bridge to what they are unfamiliar with in order to bring them to a new learning experience.

It is my passion to engage all students in a personal and meaningful manner by establishing a healthy rapport with them. My role is to create a safe and supportive environment that encourages students to develop good communication and analytical thinking skills. Students become more proficient and develop self-confidence as they build a strong foundation in technique, understand and use historical research, develop and defend their ideas, and give as well as accept fair and critical evaluation.

Specialties and Areas of Interest

Ecological and Environmental Studies using recycled materials to make projects

Kanji – the adopted Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana and katakana

Sumie Painting – SUMI-E is the Japanese word for Black Ink Painting. East Asian Painting and writing developed together in ancient China using the same materials of brush and ink.

Clay sculpture

Books

Needle Felting

Watercolor

3-D design

Brief Bio

Melisa earned a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of North Texas. She earned her MFA in Studio Arts at East Tennessee State University. She held K-12 All Level Art Teaching Certification in Texas. Melisa served as an Elementary Art Specialist for 7 years in Texas public schools. She has spent 6 years teaching in Mitchell County through residencies with the Toe River Arts Council and Penland’s Kids Camp and Subs with SuitCASEs programs. She has served for 3 years as an adjunct professor at ETSU in 3-D Design, Clay and Mixed Media, and for 2 years as adjunct faculty for ASU in Clay and Mixed Media. She also has 14 years of experience teaching private workshops in clay and watercolor.